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“He who did not spare His own
Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely
give us all things?”

“Son”
is unique. He is God’s “own Son.” God the Father did not spare His unique,
one-of-a-kind Son but delivered Him up.

The
second point to highlight is the fact that Christ was delivered up for us
all. Paul points us to the cross, and he
says that the cross was for us all.
Christ did not die for only a few.
He did not die for only the wealthy or only the poor; only the white or
only the black; only the people you like or only the people for which you
approve. No, Christ died for us all, all
of humanity. There will be in heaven
people from every nation, tribe, and tongue.

Now,
here’s the deal. If God was willing to
give us the best, if He was willing to give us the greatest, if God held
nothing back to secure our salvation, why would He not also freely give us all
things? And I do not think that we can
limit the “all things.” Here, the
apostle means to say that God the Father will give us everything we need
(because of our union with Christ) to make it through this world and into the
next age.

The
cross is the guarantee of God’s continued blessings. The Lord’s Supper is a meal celebrating God’s
promises, remembering that He gave His best, the Lord Jesus Christ, and that He
is faithful to His word to redeem us, save us from the wrath to come, and
welcome us into His heavenly kingdom.

Last
week we saw that there is still a rest for the people of God. We were given
three evidences to support that claim. First, the original hearers in Moses’
day did not receive the promise of rest because of disobedience. Second,
Joshua’s conquest did not secure rest because the promise was given again
later. Third, the Holy Spirit spoke through David to say that the promise is
for “today.”

READ Scripture- This is the Word of God

Diligence Instead of
Disobedience (11)

The
word “therefore” links us back to what has already been said. On the basis of
the warning and promise of the previous passage, the author of Hebrews says,
“Let us be diligent to enter that rest.” You should fear that you may come
short of it through disobedience, that possibly is a real threat, which is all
the more reason to diligently pursue that rest. You are not to shrink back in
fear so that you are stunned. No, that holy fear should motivate you to
faithfully obey all that the Lord has said. We have been exhorted to fear lest
we fall short, and now we are exhorted to be diligent lest we fall short. We do
not want to “fall according to the same example of disobedience” as that of the
Exodus generation. They heard the word of promise and did not trust it.

A Word for the People of God (12-13)

There
is no more appropriate way that I can think of to summarize what has been said
here in chapter four of Hebrews and, really, what the author has said from the
beginning of the letter to this point. Verses 12-13 conclude a major section
about the word of God. God spoke creation into existence, He spoke in the OT to
and through the prophets, and now He has spoken finally and resoundingly
through His Son. This word should not be rejected or neglected. “The very fact
that God’s word provides such a great salvation (2:3) and promises eternal ‘rest’
means that it is also a word of judgment on those who reject God’s gracious
offer” (Cockerill, 214). So, we continue to hear in the background the echo of
Psalm 95, “Today, if you will hear his voice, do not harden your hearts.” Today
is the day of salvation. Hear the word of God, trust the word of God, and obey
the word of God. There is urgency because of promise of rest remains, and there
is a fully sufficient means to enter that rest- the saving work of the Lord
Jesus Christ.

Here
we come to one of the most famous verses in all the Bible about the word of
God. Here the Bible speaks about itself, and there is much to realize. I notice
five things in verse twelve about the word: living, powerful, sharp, penetrating,
and discerning. Each part builds upon the previous so that the word of God is
not only living (applicable to us today and all those after us), but it is
powerful. It is not only powerful, but it is sharp. It is so sharp that, like a
two edged sword, it pierces to the depths of a person. The word sword may actually be a reference to a
surgeon’s knife. The word of God can
cut us open and lay us bare. It can divide things within us thought to be
indivisible. For example, how does one separate the soul and the spirit? It is
not so easy to separate joints from marrow. We are told that, “For the ancients
‘marrow,’ deeply hidden inside the bones, served metaphorically for that which
was most intimate in the body of a person” (Smillie). He knows us to our hidden
depths. Not only does the word of God divide, but it discerns. The Lord is
all-knowing. He knows every part of us. He knows our innermost thoughts and
intents. God knows your heart, and I assure you, His word cuts deeply and
judges thoroughly.

The
call of these verses is to repentance. “Not only the human heart of person, but
absolutely nothing in the creation he has made is beyond his penetrating gaze”
(Cockerill 217). There is no creature hidden. All things are naked and open to
the eyes of the Judge. You may have things hidden from your family and friends.
You may think that they are tucked away so that there is no possibility that
anyone would ever see, but God will lay all things bare, and you will be
required to give an account to Him. We like to think fondly of the grandeur of
the word of God in these two verses, but the truth of the matter is that these
two, little verses are meant to crush us. We are to feel the weight of the word
of Almighty God here to the point that we feel helpless and vulnerable. Either
you faithfully enter God’s rest or you disobey His word and fall into the hands
of a God who discerns the core of who we are and judges necessarily,
appropriately, and righteously.

A Priest for the People of God
(14-16)

Verses
12-13 were meant to prepare us to receive the word about Christ’s High
Priesthood here in 14-16. I find in the discussion of the word of God a great
hope that I do have a revelation from the Lord, there is a promise, but I also
feel the crushing weight of the accountability that is required. Therefore, I
need help, and the Father gives it in the form of a Great High Priest who is
none other than our Lord Jesus Christ. Verses 14-16 are a transition from the
previous section into the next so that we cannot disconnect these verses from
what we have just discussed, but they are ready to turn to another subject. The
hope here is that although you may be overwhelmed in and of yourself before
God, you have a Great High Priest who ministers in your behalf. Jesus the Son
of God who has passed through the heavens is all we need to persevere in
faithful obedience. All of the benefits that flow forth from Him are more than
enough to get us through this age and into the next.

It
is because of Him that we should hold fast our confession. The Exodus generation
may have confessed their loyalty to the Lord at some point, but they did not
hold fast their confession, and they fell in the wilderness. What is our
confession? We confess that Jesus is the Son of God; the revealed, incarnate
word of God; that He was sinless; that He is our Great High Priest; that He is
unique in every way; and able to save us from our sins.

Our
High Priest sympathizes with our weaknesses which, in this context, refers to
temptation. The Lord Jesus knows temptation. When the author of Hebrews wants
to stress the Lord’s humanity, he uses the name Jesus as he does here. The Word
became flesh, coming in the likeness of humanity, and lived like us. He knows
temptation because He was in all points tempted as we are, but He was without
sin. There is a great difference between Him and us. He was sinless perfection,
and we are utterly sinful and rebellious. But He can sympathize with our
weaknesses, therefore we should come boldly to the throne of grace. Here we
begin to see why the Lord can be called the Great High Priest. There is none
that compares to Him because He has the power to save. The throne that may have
seemed so intimidating and overpowering because of the judgment of Him who sits
on it is now seen as the throne of grace. Why/how can it be called by that
name? It is there that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of
need.

As
one person has said, “God’s ‘help’ is ‘timely’ because it is available
twenty-four hours a day – whenever his people face trials and temptations”
(Cockerill). Notice the “let us” admonitions based on Jesus’ High Priesthood.
Since we have a Great High Priest, “let us hold fast our confession” and “let
us come boldly to the throne of grace.” You have the saving power of the
sinless, Son of God. You have the sympathies of the Great High Priest. You have
the mercy and grace that flows from God’s heavenly throne.

Conclusion and Christian
Application

(1) If you have been drifting away from
the will of God and neglecting His words of promise and warning, then you must
wake up! Replace you spiritual laziness with passionate pursuit of the promises
of God. Do not go any longer in your spiritual slumber claiming to know Christ
but not actively trusting Him. The call of Hebrews is loud and clear today: Wake
up! Wake up!

(2) Notice the us, we, and our language of the passage. There is a
great concern for the whole congregation. We are in this together. You are not
expected to live this life as a loner. That rest of God is not for a select
few. It is for all of us. We must together be diligent to enter that rest,
meaning that I must be diligent for you and you must be diligent for me. We all
must be diligent for one another and together as we strive to enter that rest.
But, let me reiterate, it is not that we strive to earn our own salvation. We
strive to continually reject a heart of unbelief and to continue by faith in
the Son of God who gave His life for us. It is an ongoing battle to rest in
faith.

(3) If you need help, here it is. If you
need help keeping the faith, if you need help dealing with your sins, if you
need help with any of life’s struggles–here it is. God has provided a word for
His people. There is no doubt what He expects of us. It has been revealed on
the pages of holy Scripture. Hear it and do it. He has also given us His Son as
our High Priest. He takes away our sins. He sympathizes with our weaknesses.
There is help for the people of God!

I’m
here to tell you today that there is still a rest for the people of God.

Imagine
yourself flashing back to the time of Israel’s wanderings in the wilderness.
Imagine yourself in a dry and barren land with dead bodies scattered all
around. One older gentleman shows up, and you have one question for him, what
happened to all of these people? His response goes something like this: Take a look around. This marks the
disastrous consequences of unbelief. These are the corpses of people who were
to be God’s people, who heard His promises, who were offered rest in a Promised
Land, but they rebelled against their covenant God. Because of their
unbelieving, disobedient hearts, the Lord swore in His holy wrath that they
would never enter into that rest which was promised.

That,
in essence, is exactly what was recounted to us in Heb 3:16-19. The cry of
warning in that chapter was, “Beware, brethren, lest there be in any of you an
evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God.” Moreover, chapter
four also has a shout of warning, but it is combined with a word of promise.

The
Warning: “Let us fear lest any of us seem to have come short of God’s rest.”

The
Promise: “A promise remains of entering His rest.”

READ Scripture- This is the Word of God

Entering the Promised Rest by
Faith (1-5)

This
passage is clearly divided out by the multiple uses of the word “therefore.” As
usual, we need to know why that word is being used. The first “therefore” of
verse one clearly summarizes the last paragraph of chapter three which we just
recounted. Because the Israelite generation of the Exodus heard the word of
promise and fell dead in the wilderness without having received the fulfillment
due to their unbelief, we should, therefore, “fear.” We should fear that we may
come short of it as well.

What
is interesting is that the author begins in verse one by saying that a promise
remains of entering into God’s rest. How do we know that? Well, he is going to
give us a few reasons through the next few verses. In the first place, though,
we are expected to entertain the thought. Ok, Hebrews author, we will hear you
out about this rest. You say it still remains, so what should we do in light of
this promise?

He
says that we should “fear.” We don’t like that kind of language. No one should
have to fear anything. If we talk about fear, then we will have to talk about
the holiness of God, the sin-problem, our guilt, and the like. We don’t enjoy
talking about those kinds of things. After all, the New Testament says that
perfect love casts out fear. So, let’s just talk about love. Whoa, now, wait a
minute. The Bible says that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge.
It is a smart and healthy thing to fear the Lord. Fear means that you
understand the Lord and this world. It means that you appropriately respect and
appreciate the Lord for who He is and what He has done.

You
see, the possibility exists of not entering into God’s rest, even if you have
heard the word of the Lord, even if you have heard the promises, even if you
have heard the Gospel message. I don’t think many Americans realize that someone
may be a church attender, but not a Christian. Someone may call himself a
Christian, but not be born again. Someone may taste the heavenly gift, but
ultimately be lost. On the last day, many will cry, Lord! Lord! but He will
say, Depart from me, I never knew you. If that possibility exists, then you
better believe that fear is appropriate, healthy, and necessary.

The
difference between the Exodus generation and us today is not the message. Both
were messages of promise, of good news, that had to be received by an active
faith. The difference is the type of hearing. The Israelites heard the Gospel,
but they rebelled and did not obey. You see, hearing is not enough.
Intellectual agreement is not enough. We must hear and believe. We must hear
and respond in faithful obedience because it is those who believe that enter
God’s rest.

The
author ties Gen 2:2 with Ps 95:11 to teach about God’s sovereignty and plan of
redemption. The works which God had accomplished were done so from the
foundation of the world. God created everything in six days and rested on the
seventh. Everything that the Lord has willed was willed from the beginning.
What we begin to learn from this relation of Gen 2 to Ps 95 is that first, rest
is not in the past, and second, rest involves resting from works.

The Promise of Rest is for
Today (6-8)

The
second “therefore” comes in verse six. The conviction that a rest remains for
the people of God was first assumed by the author of this book. Yet, in this
paragraph scriptural support is given again from Ps 95:11. The argument for a
remaining rest is beginning to take form. In the first place, the original
hearers did not receive the promise because of disobedience. Secondly, Joshua’s
conquest did not secure rest because the promise was given again later.
Thirdly, the Holy Spirit spoke through David to say that the promise is for
“today.” Verse eight is the clincher. If the settlement in the Promise Land
under Joshua’s leadership was the fulfillment of the promise, then God would
not have spoken through David many years later of the promise still remaining.
So, it is “today” for which the promise is relevant. It is for you and me. We
can enter into God’s rest here and now and experience it ultimately at Christ’s
return. This promise is ours to receive and to share with the world. People
need to hear the promise and grasp it by faith so that they may enter His rest.

Resting from Our Works (9-10)

Finally,
the promise is emphatically stated in verse nine. The rest remains.

The
author concludes this discussion by asserting that entering into the rest of
God must be a spiritual reality when one rests from his/her own works. This is
an ultimate reality that can begin to be experienced now, today. “The essence
of entering God’s rest means resting from one’s own work just as God did on the
seventh day.” This is what I have come to call “Faith-Rest” as I have learned
from my mentor.

Conclusion and Christian
Application

(1) Fear of the Lord is healthy. You
should fear the Lord. He is holy, righteous, just, and must judge accordingly.
If you continue in sin, He must condemn your sin. If you have a heart of
unbelief, you will come short of His rest. Fear the Lord and you will be safe.
As the Lord Jesus said, “But I will show you whom you should fear: Fear Him
who, after He has killed, has power to cast into hell; yes, I say to you, fear
Him!”

(2) Notice how listening to the Lord’s
voice is prominent in this passage. The people of God are to hear and obey the
word of God. We are not to depart from the living God, harden our
hearts, rebel, sin, disobey, disbelieve, or the rest. We are expected to hear
the word of the Lord and do it. Stop looking for reasons to disobey the Lord.
You are playing with fire. If you are constantly trying to justify sin or
reason for yourself why it would be ok to neglect this or that command of the
Lord, you are in trouble. It is simple, hear and obey.

(3) Lastly, there is no doubt strong
warnings in this passage, but the overwhelming message that the believer is to
hear is this: there remains a rest for the people of God. There is still a
rest, and you can enter it. How do you enter it? You enter into God’s rest by
faith. Verse three is clear: “we who have believed do enter that rest.”